JAKARTA - Spanish tennis player Carlos Alcaraz successfully came out as champions at Indian Wells after making an amazing victory over Russian player Daniil Medvedev.
The 19-year-old athlete earned the title at the Masters event after winning two sets 6-3 and 6-2 on Sunday 19 March or Monday, March 20, western Indonesia time.
This victory made the tennis player who was said to be Rafael Nadal's successor return to world number one. He previously occupied that position, but was later shifted by Novak Djokovic eight weeks ago.
"This means a lot to me. Getting back to world number one. This is crazy for me," Alcarez said as quoted by Eurosport.
Alcaraz's journey at Indian Wells was truly extraordinary. He won the title after not losing a single set in six matches at the ATP 1000 level tournament.
The performance was recorded after he missed the opening Grand Slam of the season at the Australian Open due to injury. Victory at Indian Wells also made him a favorite at the upcoming Roland-Garros.
This victory matched his senior achievement as well as his compatriot Nadal who became the only male player to win three Masters 1000 titles when he was a teenager.
"Especially for lifting trophies here, for me, it means a lot. I love this tournament. I really enjoy my time here. For me, it's amazing to be able to finish 10 days like this," he said.
Alcarez could have immediately lost this world number one if he could not defend his title at the Miami Masters. The tournament will take place from March 22 to April 2.
Meanwhile, from the women's number, last year's Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina beat Aryna Sabalenka 7-6 (13/11), 6-4 to win the WTA Indian Wells title.
This is Rybakina's first win over world number two Sabalenka in their five head-to-head meetings. On the way to win the Kazakh tennis title, he also eliminated the top ranking and defending champion Iga Swiatek in the semifinals.
Rybakina is projected to rise to seventh in the world. Meanwhile, Sabalenka had to lose both of them this year and failed to win his third title after victories in Adelaide and Melbourne.
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